Alvah eioe



A. RICE.

(No Model.)

' Q OAR COUPLING. No. 256,859. Patented A pr.25, 1882.

Inventor.-

WAX i1.

. k. /M. I

I M WL,

1 N. PETERS. Phutoljlhognphnn Washmgton, D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAH RICE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO v STEPHEN WHEELER, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,859, dated April 25, 1882,

Application filed February 6, 1882.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALVAH RICE, ot' Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplers,which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of myinvention is to attach a retaining-gate at the side of the bumper-head of an ordinary draw-bar of a railroad-car for the purpose of holding in position the couplinglink or the coupling-pin, as the case may be, during the process of coupling two cars together, with certain other attached and combined parts, all of which are fully described in the subjoined specification, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my improved coupling device; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, view indicated by arrow y in Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 3, a view of a section of the link and a pertion of the outer free end of the gate in position to hold the link, view indicated by arrow 2 in Fig. 1.

A is the bumper-head, having the usual opening, F B the bumper-ring or bumper, G the hole for the pin, D the pin, and C the coupling-link, all of ordinary construction, which. parts together constitute the external or visible portion of the car-couplin g device in general use.

In using this style of couplerit is necessary for an attendant to stand at the end of the car to be connected and guide the link of the approaching car into the opening of the bumperhead of the said car to be connected, and place the pin of said bumperhead through said link when in position-an operation that is at once troublesome and dangerous, and which by the use of my improvement is avoided.

To the back surface, and at one side of the bumperring B of the ordinary coupling device above described, I attach a simple gate, 1), constructed to swing horizontally into or out of the opening F of the bumper, the said gate swinging upon a vertical pin, or, held by two projecting hangers, c 0, as shown. The upper edge or surface of the gate is plain, but the (No model.)

lower edge is notched at d, to allow said gate to swing over the link 0 within the head, (shown in dotted lines,) and also notched at 0 over the hanger c, to allow it to drop a short distance vertically when swung out of the opening Fof the head. The gate, when swung to its farthest position within the head, as shown in full lines in the figures, stands in line with the hole G for the pin, and forms a rest for the pin, as shown, to hold the same up out of the way of the approaching link 0 of an other car. When the link C enters the bumperhead it swings the gate around to the position indicated in dotted lines at If and allows the pin to drop through said link and perfect the coupling of the two cars.

A projecting part, f, from the side of the gate, and coming in contact with the buniperring B when the gate is swung within the head, forms a stop to prevent said gate swinging beyond or by the hole G.

If the operation ofcouplin g is to be reversedthat is to say, if the link and pin are both in porarily in position for the purpose of coupling. The lower inside corner of the gate is rounded back, as shown at s in Fig. 3, which, together with the convexity of thelink, causes the gate to be thrown off or to slide ott the link by thejar or concussion caused by the bump ers striking together, and also the backward motion of the link incident to coupling tends to swing the gate around off the link.

A piece, g, projects laterally from the side of the head under the gate, out upon which the downward projecting part 0 of said gate rides when the latter is swung outward to the posit-ion shown in dotted lines at b The upper surface of the piece g inclines downward away from the head, so as to facilitate the swinging outward of the gate, and when the latter has reached the position shown at N, or when the part 0 of the gate moves wholly off the ledge g, the gate is permitted to drop vertically a swinging farther back than to the position short distance on account of the same being cut away at cover the lower hanger 0, as above stated. When the gate has dropped to its lowest position its rests upon the lower hanger c, and the part0 passes a little distance below the outer upper corner of the ledge g, which prevents the gate swinging forward into the head when not needed. The outer projecting corner, 1), of the gate, coming in contact with the bumper-ring B when said gate is swung outward, forms a stop to prevent the same shown at 72 The gate has to be raised and swung into the head by hand when it is needed to hold either the pin or link.

I do not claim the holding of the pin of a car-coupler up out of the way of the approaching link of another car, nor holding the link in position to enter the bumper of an approachingcar, such having before been accomplished; but

What 1 claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The open bumper-head A of a car-coupling device, provided with a projecting bumperring, B, and a gate, I), hung to said bumperring at the rear side thereof, and in such a manner that it may be swung into the opening F of the bumper-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The open bumper-head A of a car-couplingdevicc, provided with a projecting bu mperring, 13, and a gate, I), hung at the rear side of said bumper-ring, and in such a manner that it may be swung into the opening F of the bumper-head, as set forth, said gate when swung within the bumper-head being adapted to the double purpose of holding in position either the coupling-link or coupling-pin, as may be required.

3. In combination with the bumper-head A, having an opening, F, a link, G, and pin D, a gate, b, hung at one side of the head and so as to be swung into or out of the opening F, and capable of being moved vertically up or down upon its hearing or hinge, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a ear-coupling device, the gate b, provided with the downward-projecting part' 0, and hung to the rear side of the bumper-ring B, so as to be swung into the opening Fof the bumper-head, said bumper-head being provided with the ledge g, projecting laterallyt'roin the lower plate thereof, and in position for the said part 0 of the gate to ride upon while the latter is being swung, as and for the purpose set forth, the said ledge 9 also forming, with the part 0, a stop for the gate when the latter is swung out of the bumper-head to prevent it being swung therein again until needed.

ALVAH RICE.

Witnesses:

1G. B. WnrrMoRn, J. A. STACK. 

